1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related generally to an electrooptical assembly and more particularly to an assembly including optical components and at least one opto-electrical component on a substrate, the substrate being contained within a sealed housing.
2. Description of the Related Art
During the development of electro-optics, and particularly during the development of signal transmission through light waveguides, assemblies of optical components and electrical components such as, for example, film circuits are united. A problem exists during the manufacture of such assemblies in that the optical components have to be protected from even the slightest contamination to avoid signal loss, since the waveguides carry very low light amplitudes. Standard methods for fastening film circuits in a housing include either soldering with a fluxing agent or gluing with an adhesive which usually contains a solvent. These methods cannot be used in combination with optical components due to the risk of contamination.
In the European patent application No. EP-82-0118677, for example, is disclosed a method and apparatus for setting a light receiving end of a light conductor in the focus of a lens. The light conducting element is joined firmly to the lens carrying element with the assistance of a glue. Insofar as optically effective surfaces are exposed, there is a risk of contamination of the components by the epoxy resin glue or by the solvent of the adhesive.
An additional problem occurring during the manufacture of electro-optical assemblies is that an extremely precise assembly and alignment of the optical and opto-electrical components must be provided. This is due to the small dimensions of the light waveguides and of the light rays being transmitted. Particularly when mounting film circuits which contain electro-optical components, a problem arises that neither the standard mounting methods for optics nor the fastening methods for film circuit technology can be used.